Social Committee

The Social Committee’s original function was to provide food at our large group gatherings.  And in less contagious times you would have enjoyed lots of goodies like coffee, tea, juice, homemade cookies, squares and loaves, cheese and crackers and a fruit tray at our Membership Drive in March and again at our annual meeting in Oct. (hopefully we will still have that one).

Since the early days of the club our role has gradually expanded so we now provide additional social events beyond the regular weekly canoe outings.

Paradise Lake

Our next scheduled get together is a day at Paradise Lake on June 16 at the Y Camp.  For $20 we enjoy coffee and muffins on arrival, a morning of canoeing on their lake in their canoes, with a leader provided by the camp, followed by a hot lunch. We usually have time to tour the lake and admire the awesome cottages, before we settle in to some competitive games and attempts at synchronized canoe formations.  No talent is necessary for this.  Even the least-experienced beginners are able to participate. It’s best to bring your own life jacket, though they do have some there if you forget.  After lunch there is time for a swim or some more canoeing, or you can head home.

Mini Golf Tournament

In August we have our annual mini golf tournament held at Max’s Golf Academy on King St. near Market Rd.  We meet at 9:30 before it gets too hot and are divided into teams for a friendly competition.  There are usually some small prizes and consolation chocolate.

Corn Maze

In Oct. when our canoe schedule is finished, we plan a visit to Nauman’s farm for an opportunity to find your way through their corn maze.  Again, we are divided into small groups so you are never lost alone.  This is followed by an optional lunch at Homestyle Diner.

Car Rally

We’ve been fortunate the last few years to have a car rally in the fall.  It depends on volunteers willing to prepare a route.  We meet at the 404 at 9 a.m. and divide into teams of 2, 3, or 4 to a car and leave about 5 minutes apart.  We follow clues to find the route and answer questions related to the sights along the way.  After a couple of hours we find our way to the destination where we enjoy a potluck lunch while the organizer uses the answer sheets to determine the winners.

Geocaching

In Nov. we often have a  morning of geocaching led by some experienced volunteers.  It’s fun to try and find the hidden treasures.  There is usually an optional lunch  out afterwards.

Christmas Party

In Dec. the highlight of our social season is our Christmas Lunch at Luther Village in Waterloo.  Last year for $35 we enjoyed a full turkey dinner with dressing, mashed potatoes, vegetables, gravy, cranberries, and two salads, coffee or tea and Christmas Pudding and fruit for dessert.  A cash bar was available. We had a mixer game at the beginning and some other party games after lunch.  Members were invited to make optional contributions to the food bank, toy drive, and /or bring a door prize. Our members were very generous.  We even had musical entertainment by one of our more talented members and we ended the afternoon by singing some favourite Christmas carols.

Bowling

In Jan. and Feb. we had an afternoon of bowling each month at Victoria Lanes in Kitchener.   No talent was necessary.  It was just a way to get out and get together.  There were some chocolate prizes for a hidden score and for high and low female and male bowlers each game. There was an optional coffee gathering afterwards across the street at City Bakery.

Hiking

Besides events run by the Social Committee there is a walking group that meets Tues. mornings at 9:30 from Nov. to April.  They have been to the Floradale  Dam, Sandy Hills Regional Forest, Health  alley Trail, Langdon Hall, Snider’s  Flats, and many more.  After the hike they usually go for lunch at a restaurant in the area of the hike.  Unfortunately this is now also on hold due to the Coronavirus.

Hopefully this trying situation will soon be over and we can get back to our regular social schedule.

Best of health, everyone.

Pam & Brenda